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[Region 1][Map 14][Location 01] Mennin's Hallow

Mennin's Hallow is a secluded and hidden community in the Uzuid Mountains. It was founded by a cleric named Mennin who understood early the necessity of quarantine. He brought a few people he trusted with him and settled in a village of the diminutive mountain hillfolk. The lowlanders brought with them more advanced techniques in milling, farming, and manufacture to supplement the hill peoples' goat-herding economy.

The village grew haphazardly, with little planning of layout beyond the construction of a dam across the spring to get more power for the new mill. The current population is about 280 people, 60 or so of whom are the indigenous hillfolk who resemble the stoutlings from the other side of the mountains. The farms and goats only barely support the village, leaving little surplus to trade and thus little reason for contact with the outside world. The Hallow depends on its isolation to protect it from illness.

The Hallow is currently governed by Mennin's second son, who serves as mayor and justicer, with six officers under him. Tradespeople include a chandler, charcoaler, three cobblers, furrier, mason, two metalsmiths, miller/baker, ostler, physician, two tailors, tavern, weaver, and two woodcrafters.

I did have a few thoughts though. Although the population is low and the town is isolated, I find it odd that there are no outbuildings from the town. There are no hermits, woodsmen or druids in the nearby woods? No ceremonial groves, dolmens or menhirs, or watch structures? It also strikes me as odd that such an isolated place would not have a rudimentary military structure or two to defend against the occasional maruading wild animal or humanoid band.

Where is the road out of town? It may be to small to see on the larger map, but I cannot make out any way to get Mennin's Hallow other than by water. It may be isolated, but a thorp with 280 people would have blazed a rude path or two leading out of it if not an actual road.

Finally, the blow of view of the village was nice, but it has quite a bit of empty space to the upper left. I would center the blow up view on the village itself since the village is the focus of the blow up in the first place.

Although the population is low and the town is isolated, I find it odd that there are no outbuildings from the town.
...
No ceremonial groves, dolmens or menhirs, or watch structures?

Good idea. An old megalith site would be a nice touch, and the place needs a graveyard. I had originally intended to put at least one cottage in the forest, but I must have erased that entry on my notes layer. Or maybe it's lurking somewhere off the edge of the canvas. Thanks for the reminder.

It also strikes me as odd that such an isolated place would not have a rudimentary military structure or two to defend against the occasional maruading wild animal or humanoid band.

That's a conscious choice. Wild animals will normally avoid a settlement, particularly if there is plenty of wilderness around it. The Tawaren Basin at large is very sparsely populated thanks to the plague, so the risk of bandits is very low, almost nonexistant. Furthermore, this village is only barely surviving; the villagers aren't willing to give the labor to construct a palisade, preferring to do things that more directly improve their own circumstances.

Where is the road out of town? It may be too small to see on the larger map, but I cannot make out any way to get Mennin's Hallow other than by water. It may be isolated, but a thorp with 280 people would have blazed a rude path or two leading out of it if not an actual road.

Water isn't a good way to get in or out, either. That stream's only 25 feet wide, shallow, and it runs rapidly downhill in places. It might be possible to run a canoe on it, but nothing bigger. There isn't any regular traffic to or from the Hallow, although you're right--there should probably be at least some foraging trails, and quite likely a path up to a quarry to the west. That could double as a goat trail, too.

I would center the blow up view on the village itself since the village is the focus of the blow up in the first place.

I am inclined to think the same thing. But I'm lazy, so I didn't do it. Now that you've given me some ideas for other ways to fill the space, though, it may not be necessary. Or at least I won't have to move it very far.

So here's my to-do list, just so I can see it easily and don't overlook the obvious again:

Actually thinking about it, I think thebax has a point. Perhaps you should reverse the inset and have the zoomed out view in the little box since most of the interest (at the moment) is in the detail view.

Heh. That's not happening. For one thing, I built this map for the mapping challenge, and I just don't have the time to entirely remake it with the deadline looming. For another, a larger village map will require a different style for the buildings. These simple blocks just won't cut it at higher resolutions. They're just barely adequate at this size.

Besides, those trees are just too pretty to shrink!

Maybe I'll do another of the hallows later on with that idea in mind. Galerius should be similar, and I might be able to use that one to develop a style more suitable for a closer view.